Website Content
How many times have you visited a site that seems to have nothing in the way of content? Acquiring and editing your content is one of the most important steps in setting up a website.
Content is any material that provides information to the user. In a website it can take several forms; text, graphics, sound, animation, and video. The content of your site will illustrate, illuminate and enhance your concept.
Ask yourself, “what is the primary intent of my website?”
- To sell a specific product
- To provide customer service
- To allow your customers access to programs and information
- To provide a place to search information
- To offer entertainment
- To educate
Cathy Sykora
Founder
Cathy helps small business owners build and maintain successful businesses that improve their lives and the lives of others.
How would you describe your current material, if you have any? Would you describe it as brochures, reports, press releases, client correspondence, education/training materials, business cards, past advertising, or catalogs?
Does your current material address your intent? If so, what works and what doesn’t?
Does the material need to be edited, rewritten or re-designed to be more appropriate to your website?
What is missing from what you have already collected?
Whatever your site content may be about, cut back on the “fluff”. Be clear and concise; it allows the useful content to be more prominent. The page is shorter and easier to read without scrolling and it reduces the “noise” of the page.
This article is the first of a series for you, to help you set your website up and present it in a way that will provide value and best represent your brand to your ideal client. If there is one thing, you remember as you begin to set up your site or rebuild your site, it’s to tell your reader what to do. Guide them to where they need to be and what they need to do to best serve their purposes with you. Typically, for you, and for them, so you can continue to provide value, that’s to get their name and email. If you are doing business online, growing your list is your number one priority.
Make that what they see first and make it irresistible. Your homework this week; Is your offer compelling? An opt-in should:
Offers a concrete solution to a problem or need to your ideal client
- Gives your contact “one big thing.”
- Gives a result
- Offers immediate gratification (no newsletters, podcasts, etc.)
- Moves your contact into a continued sequence
- Is perceived to have a high value
- Has a high actual value
- Is best if the value is realized quickly
What can you offer that your customer can’t resist?
Well said, Cathy, and timely for me, too, as I rebrand my business. I’m working with my website guru to make some major structural changes while I tinker with the stuff I love to do myself.
It’s nice to be able to get your fingers in there and make changes. I can’t wait to see it!
Hi Cathy.
Websites are so important whether the purpose. And if you don’t make it a pleasant experience, I know I tend to leave without taking the time to explore further.
The tips you provide are great suggestions, which I’ll take the time to go through with my own website.
Great post.
Great Claudette.
Cathy, what a timely article for me about website content. Your questions about what I want my website to convey is key. I’m doing market research and really evaluating my focus so I can do just that and make my site irresistible!
So smart of you to do the market research. Many people skip that step and it can be extremely helpful in avoiding mistakes and it can spark some original inspiration.
Cathy thank you motivating me to look over my website and see if it is really doing what I need it to do. As a counselor who is also a psychic medium, the most recent need I have had is to educate potential clients as to my work to make sure we are a good fit. It’s time for a review! Looking forward to your next blog.
This was worth writing if it inspired you to do that! Thanks for letting me know Candess.
It is definitely a process to have a website with good content, etc. The questions you ask are very helpful to help gain clarity on purpose and value.
Thanks for this, Cathy. (Nice website, btw!) This is very helpful as I am always tweaking my website – there’s lots of good content there (imho!) yet perhaps it needs more focus and calls to action. This is helpful!
Focus and calls to action will make an incredible difference.